Time

stickywicket

We talk a lot about pacing ourselves and the true value of it has struck home these last few weeks.

July was always going to be a 'difficult' month, arthritically speaking, with first my sister here for two weeks then some old friends for a week and finally, the day after they leave, 2-3 tricky nights on a friend's sofa bed having stand-up washes in their downstairs cloakroom as we get together with 3 others.

While having all these visitors I've probably done no more work than usual as all are ones who will happily 'muck in' and help out. But, crucially, I've been living life to their schedules not mine. Pacing has been out of the question. Things have had to be done when they've had to be done and squeezed in where they could be squeezed. Even the evenings have not been our own and, possibly stupidly, I refuse to recline my recliner when guests don't have that option. Bed has been wonderful. Sleep has been almost instant. I can hardly believe that I have very mixed feelings about the coming weekend (current friends depart tomorrow: we leave for other ones' the day after) though I have always enjoyed these gatherings enormously in the past. I just want to be in, and have, my own home to myself/ourselves and time to take things at my own plodding pace once more.

I am writing this because, to my huge relief, they've all gone somewhere this morning that is not very wheelchair accessible

dibdab

Oh gosh SW, sounds like you need a few "me" days to recuperate before heading off out again...is it possible to defer your visit for a week to regroup?

It's true that no one really understands quite how exhausting living with long term conditions can be, and however much they think they accommodate our needs we struggle on to keep up with them.

Seeing friends is grand, but a little quiet solitude to just rest is essential. I've had 5 weeks of enforced quiet days at home caring for our little dog who is recuperating from major spinal surgery-it's been tedious, but I've stayed home in the shade, done lots of reading and really rested the sore joints-so maybe I've been the lucky one whilst the rest of the family have gone out to work in this sweltering weather.

Deb xx

Airwave!

Theres no home like home eh.

BettyMac

It’s lovely to have visitors but I’m another who needs her own space!
Never mind the physical demands of being so busy, my mind needs to idle in neutral at regular intervals!

Recline that recliner, Sticky!

mermaid

Totally understand Sticky, with two thirds of our family living abroad it's either a famine or a feast and August is the feast month. Plus looking after young grandson in school holidays a few days a week (our choice and will do it as long as we can) and hot weather - definitely feeling it and wondering if I can keep up. Just want them to have a lovely time as making good memories is so important. Like you, anxious not to be a party pooper. Discreetly sandwiching hospital appointments and tests in between is a logistical feat!
Hope you have a more restful time to follow your busy social life and will have some nice photos to remind you it was fun and worth the effort.

Take good care xxxx

stickywicket

Thank you for your empathy, everyone. It's - paradoxically - good to feel I'm not alone. Mind you, today it's good to be alone as friends have departed, Mr SW is on the golf course and I needn't pack for tomorrow until tomorrow. I even have an easy evening meal of leftovers. What's not to like?

It's at times like these I can hear my old Mum saying, when the kids were young, "It's lovely to see you come and it's lovely to see you go." Spot on, Mum.